Success of the most gourmet edition of the Haro Station Wine Experience

The third edition of the Haro Station Wine Experience, the most exclusive and gourmet edition, will close its doors after a successful first day. On a sunny, festive day in Haro, around 3,500 people, including end consumers and the press, have enjoyed a journey through Spanish wine growing history where the best wines from the La Rioja region, along with the most prominent local cuisine, have been the main players in an unforgettable experience.

“Wine and its culture have triumphed today, driven by the vivid movement which is that of the Haro Station Wine Experience,” Agustín Santolaya, the rotating president of the Station Wine Experience and Managing Director at Bodegas RODA stated.

“It has been amazing to see how the public has enjoyed the experience, enveloped in a magical surrounding filled with parties and happiness. Great La Rioja cuisine, put on by true artists like Francis Paniego, Carlos Echapresto and Juan Ángel Rodrigálvarez, went perfectly with the 14 splendid wines that we have tasted.”

The seven host wine cellars, López de Heredia Viña Tondonia, CVNE, Gómez Cruzado, La Rioja Alta, S.A., Viña Pomal Bodegas Bilbaínas, Bodegas Muga and Bodegas RODA, have offered a careful selection of 14 internationally renowned wines throughout the day, which have been tasted in a specially selected glass for this unique day, that the guests have taken away as a souvenir. Wines that have been perfectly combined with seven dishes from the best local cuisine, created for the occasion by the La Rioja Michelin Star chefs Francis Paniego -El Portal del Echaurren- and the Echapresto brothers – Venta Moncalvillo-.

“After months of preparation, it has been very rewarding to see how the guests enjoyed each of the featured pairings. It is our duty to show the public the great culinary potential that La Rioja has, which is unbeatable when it is accompanied by the wines from the Station Wine Experience, and events like this are the perfect chance for that,” Ignacio Echapresto, a chef at Venta Moncalvillo stated. “It has been an honour for us to be part of such an ambitious project and to contribute to positioning our region amongst the best in the world,” added Paniego.

Also, the master confectioner Juan Ángel Rodrigálvarez, winner of the 2010 National Gastronomy Award for the Best Confectioner, gave it the final sweet touch with his “Maraví de Chocolate” dessert. “Being part of the amazing Haro Station Wine Experience line-up with a dessert like this has been an incredible opportunity. Events like the Haro Station Wine Experience are a sure bet for showcasing the quality of our products and the know-how of the region to the world,” he noted.

To reinforce the great entertaining atmosphere, the seven organising wine cellars have put on musical shows in the streets of the area, as well as different cultural and wine proposals with the added aim of giving the participants an insight into the art and culture of wine creation. So, the following stood out: “Disgorging the wine cellar” at Viña Pomal Bodegas Bilbaínas, “Imperial Aromas” at CVNE, “Cooperage, barrel breaking and barrels” at Bodegas Muga, “Artistic performance ‘Figures talk to wine’” at Bodegas Gómez Cruzado, “Artisanal racking” at La Rioja Alta, S.A., “Two architects: Juan Cabrera Latorre and Zaha Hadid” at López de Heredia Viña Tondonia and the “Projection”: “Each bottle is a reflection of our landscape” at Bodegas RODA.

Thanks to the successful third edition, the Haro Station Wine Experience is once again the embodiment of Spanish wine events, as the huge media coverage confirms thanks to the hundred national accredited journalists present.

It is a party that will continue on Monday 18th June, with the workshop for professionals which will bring together more than 800 people to Haro including journalists, sommeliers, Masters of Wine, wine and food critics, caterers, as well as thought leaders and international press from 11 countries. It is an appointment where the renowned MW Sarah Jane Evans will be the 2018 “Maquinista del Año,” giving a master tasting. It is an extravagant closing ceremony, matching up to an area that will soon start to prepare the next edition of this spectacular party.